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AIBU?

if you think its ok to have a glass of wine a week in pregnancy is it ok to have a cigarette a week?

249 replies

Beatrixemerald · 03/03/2015 19:28

Just asking opinions, not sure what mine is really as was teetotal for years pre pregnancy so didn't need to think about it, but I was a smoker until I found out I was pregnant.
I just wonder if we are as a society far more tolerant of drinking vs smoking and this translates through to pregnancy as nhs advice seems to be to avoid both.

OP posts:
OrinocoTheWomble · 03/03/2015 19:34

Well, I didn't drink in pregnancy - as couldn't face the stuff.
Cigarettes... I too gave up when I found I was pregnant. Never started again. But if you're only going to have one cigarette a week then there's no point and you really don't need it.

paxtecum · 03/03/2015 19:35

I was wondering about that too, but it seems that pregnant women who inhale toxins by having a cigarette are guilty of putting their baby's health at risk, but those pregnant woman who digest toxins by drinking an occasional glass of wine are not - they are just having a well deserved relaxing drink.

Hmmm.

ChocolateBiscuitCake · 03/03/2015 19:36

Can any smoker really just have one cigarette a week?

birobenny · 03/03/2015 19:36

Those awful selfish wine swilling cowsHmm

Mintyy · 03/03/2015 19:36

Can you not put this in the pregnancy topic so that I can hide it?

What is the point of putting it in AIBU? You are clearly just looking for a fight. Get a bloody hobby!

paxtecum · 03/03/2015 19:36

Orinoco: that's exactly the same arguement for not drinking whilst pregnant.
Unless you are an alcoholic you don't need to drink.

Squeegle · 03/03/2015 19:37

Of course not
Cigarettes are 100% bad for you and for developing child
Red wine in moderation has quite a lot of benefits

CremeEggThief · 03/03/2015 19:37

Smoking has been shown to cause far more harm in pregnancy than drinking a small or even moderate amount.

Beatrixemerald · 03/03/2015 19:39

mintyy really not, just interested in general views. isnt the pregnany topic really for people who are pregnant. have plenty of hobbies but not many I can do when just put baby to bed. isnt aibu for debate?

OP posts:
Totality22 · 03/03/2015 19:40

Surely the issue is that smoking is addictive so having 'one smoke a week' ( ie a very controlled and limited amount of nicotine ) isn't as feasible as having the occasional non addictive glass of wine.

Beatrixemerald · 03/03/2015 19:42

both were addictive to me but I know plenty of people who could have one a week of either. Creamegg is it proven smoking In such a small amount could cause damage?

OP posts:
Mistigri · 03/03/2015 19:42

One cigarette is probably going to do about as much damage to your baby as walking on a still winter's day down a busy road with lorries belching exhaust fumes - ie not very much.

The problem is of course that not many people can smoke just the one fag.

Pantone363 · 03/03/2015 19:44

Kate is that you?

Charlotte3333 · 03/03/2015 19:45

I think we are generally far less tolerant of smoking during pregnancy than drinking. Perhaps because unless we're in pubs/clubs we're not regularly confronted with pregnant women drinking.

I had a glass of champagne on our wedding day and was 16 weeks pregnant. It was on the side when we went to our room and I swilled it down without even thinking, DH was beside himself and spent most of our wedding night drunk-Googling what effect it could have on the unborn (he turned out fine. Well, ridiculously silly, but otherwise fine). Generally though I don't like to see either; if you can't quit smoking or drinking in order to protect the life inside of you, your priorities are a bit off.

stargirl1701 · 03/03/2015 19:45

In the first trimester, neither are acceptable choices.

In the second and third trimesters, one glass of wine occasionally is ok.

Smoking is never ok in pg.

Beatrixemerald · 03/03/2015 19:45

eh?

OP posts:
vestandknickers · 03/03/2015 19:46

I don't think its ok to do either.

arethereanyleftatall · 03/03/2015 19:47

Not really a debate is it? Smoking, any amount, is harmful for your unborn child. Drinking one glass of wine, is not.

PrettyFeet · 03/03/2015 19:50

Its not ok to do either apparently. I went off alcohol (as couldnt even stand the smell) but smoked. Gave birth to a healthy boy.

Beatrixemerald · 03/03/2015 19:51

But are either proven, eg is it proven one cigarette would be harmful?? I cant find anything that says one a week would do x for example.

OP posts:
Peony58890 · 03/03/2015 19:54

Smoking is 100% bad for pregnant and non pregnant people. Wine on the other hand has some interesting research related to intelligence/behaviour and the odd glass of wine while pregnant. The uk tends to daemonise having a glass once a week, unlike other countries.

ThisFenceIsComfy · 03/03/2015 19:54

Smoking one cigarette would have no effect on your baby. Most studies are based on an intake of 10-20 a day!

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Turquoiseblue · 03/03/2015 19:54

??? Can't believe someone is asking if smoking in pregnancy is ok- are you expecting people to say oh yes do expose your child to nicotine toxins and god knows what else .....

Personally I choose not to drink in pregnancy - though I had unwittingly drank when I didn't realise I was preg (it was the fact I couldn't take the taste of my favourite Pinot that lead me to take a HPT Wink). However my understanding of it is also that alcohol is a substance that gets absorbed into the blood stream, and 100% of what you drink gets delivered into the bloodstream and thereby (via placenta) to the baby (it was illustrated to me that some drugs and some other substances may not get absorbed aa well as alcohol so the foetus doesn't get the same 'strength' concentration as the mum would). My understanding is It s not determined how much is safe, and at what different stage of pregnancy, though there are theories about more critical periods of development. So from my understanding I d rather not drink in pregnancy.
This is just my interpretation of the information and how I came to my decision. I am not claiming to be a medical expert on the subject.

BathtimeFunkster · 03/03/2015 19:54

1-2 glasses of wine

1 fag/2 rollies

1 fat spliff (grass)/2 tidy spliffs (hash)

One thin line of coke

Half an e

2 tabs of acid/1 microdot

One portion of magic mushrooms (liberty caps, none of your foreign muck)

Zero grams of heroin

Those are the recommended weekly limits by the BFIE.

There is no such thing as zero risk.

If you are ingesting anything, you might be harming your baby.

HTH

ThisFenceIsComfy · 03/03/2015 19:56

I gave up both for pregnancy and breastfeeding fwiw so for three years in total. I have the occasional glass of wine now but don't smoke as now it tastes disgusting to me.

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